Modern research and technology have provided society with a wide variety of electronic devices. It is appreciated that some of these modern electronic devices and systems are very powerful and useful to their users. For example, some of the electronic devices and systems which fall into this category include: computers which occupy large office space down to computers which are held in one's hand, satellites which orbit around the earth relaying a multitude of communication signals, global positioning system (GPS) devices capable of determining the specific locations of their users on the earth, cellular phones which enable their users to communicate wirelessly with other people, to name a few. Additionally, it is also appreciated that some modern electronic devices and systems also provide entertainment to their users. For instance, some of the electronic devices and systems which fall into this category include: portable and fixed radio receivers which provide their users music along with a wide array of different audio programming, video game consoles which challenge their users with varying situations within different virtual realities, portable and fixed compact disc (CD) players which provide music to their users, and televisions which provide a wide variety of visual and audio programming to their users.
Furthermore, there are some modern electronic devices and systems that have one or more time dependent operations. For instance, some of the electronic devices and systems which fall into this category include: video cassette recorders (VCRs), thermostats connected to heating and/or cooling systems, radios, ovens, televisions, coffee makers, microwave ovens, water sprinkler systems, and stereo systems to name a few. Specifically, video cassette recorders (VCRs) are able to be programmed to automatically turn on at a predetermined time on a specific day and begin recording a particular broadcast television show for a certain amount of time. Another example of a modern electronic device that may have a time dependent operation is a thermostat of a home heating and/or cooling system. Specifically, the thermostat may be programmed to automatically activate and/or deactivate a furnace in order to heat a home to a particular temperature at predetermined hours everyday.
It should be appreciated that there are disadvantages associated with modern electronic devices and systems that have one or more time dependent operations. For instance, if a person wants to program several different electronic devices and/or systems, that person typically has to physically move around to the location of each device and/or system. For example, a person is about to go on a vacation and he wants to program his house thermostat to a different setting, program his house lights to come on and off automatically, program his lawn sprinklers to a different cycle, and program his VCR to record some of his favorite broadcast television shows. Unfortunately, in order to do all of this programming, he has to typically move around his house to each device and system. This situation becomes even more of a disadvantage when the person does not have much time to do this programming because he is in a hurry to go somewhere or do something else.
Another disadvantage associated with modern electronic devices and systems having one or more time dependent operations is that they are each typically programmed in a different manner. For example, a stereo system, thermostat, VCR, coffee maker, and water sprinkler system are each programmed in a different manner. As such, if a user wants to program all of these different electronic devices and systems, he or she has to learn each of the different ways to program them. Therefore, a user may become overwhelmed by all of the different ways of programming different electronic devices and systems.